Justina Machado

Justina Milagros Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress.

In 1986, Machado attended Lane Technical College Prep High School.

During her spare time, she performed with the Latino Chicago Theater Company.

Machado was a guest appearing in Episode 6 of Season 6 of Finding Your Roots, a documentary show by PBS that is hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., during which it was confirmed that she has African matrilineal ancestry (i.e. through a female ancestor on her mother's side ) through genetic testing of her mitochondrial DNA.

In 1990, after graduating from Lane Tech, Machado moved to New York City.

The experience she had gained as a performer with the Latino Chicago Theater Company helped open the doors for her in that city.

Soon, she was offered a job as a professional actress in Los Angeles, California.

Machado moved to Los Angeles and in 1996, she landed her first two acting roles.

She was cast as Elsa in the ABC series NYPD Blue appearing in an episode "Burnin' Love", and co-starring in the made-for-television drama film No One Would Tell.

In 1997, she made her big screen debut playing supporting role of Carmen Rodriguez in the romantic drama film She's So Lovely.

Machado also guest-starred on Arsenio, Any Day Now, Touched by an Angel, Early Edition, Angel and had a recurring role on the short-lived UPN sitcom Goode Behavior.

She began her career playing secondary roles on television and film before starring as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO comedy-drama series, Six Feet Under (2001—05), for which she received Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Machado later starred in the short-lived series Missing, Three Rivers and Welcome to the Family and was regular cast member in the first season of the USA Network crime drama Queen of the South.

In 2001, Machado played the leading role in the action comedy film Sticks and a minor part in Steven Spielberg's science fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

Later that year, she was cast in the HBO comedy-drama series, Six Feet Under.

She played Vanessa Diaz, originally a supporting character, later evolving into one of the series' main characters.

Machado and her cast mates were honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award.

She also has appeared in films Final Destination 2 (2003), Torque (2004), Little Fugitive (2006), The Call (2013), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), All Together Now (2020) and The Throwback (2024).

In 2023, she played the leading role in the Amazon Prime Video black comedy-horror series, The Horror of Dolores Roach.

Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of two children of Alicia Morales Ruiz and Ismael Machado.

Her mother was born in Puerto Rico and her father was born to Puerto Rican parents.

They subsequently divorced and her mother remarried and had three children.

Her family roots are in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico and Barrio Jagual, Patillas, Puerto Rico, and her ancestry includes Afro-Latino.

As Machado is of Hispanic descent, she had a traditional quinceañera, with chambelanes as well as damas.

She said her family was poor, and she grew up in the Northwest Side of Chicago.

Machado was raised Catholic.

Machado was very active in drama, always participating in her school plays.

She also took dance at Franklin Fine Arts Center.

In 2003, she played Isabella Hudson in the supernatural horror film, Final Destination 2, and the following year appeared in the action comedy Torque.

In 2003, Machado appeared in the music video for TLC's song "Damaged", the third single from their fourth studio album 3D, as a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship and unsure of what to do with her life.

From 2003 to 2004, Machado also starred in the Canadian crime drama series, 1-800-Missing playing FBI Agent Sunny Estrada during the show first season.

The series completed its final season in 2005.

In 2006, she starred in the drama film Little Fugitive, a remake of the 1953 film of the same name.

Machado has also made appearances on stage, including a 2008 production of Neil LaBute's play, Some Girl(s), at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

She was in productions of Blade to the Heat and Black Butterfly at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

She was the first replacement for Andréa Burns in Broadway's In the Heights.

She had a recurring role as Chicago police officer Claudia Diaz in the NBC medical drama ER in 2009.

In 2010, Machado appeared in the Los Angeles run of Love, Loss and What I Wore.

Machado appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Bones, Body of Proof and Desperate Housewives.

From 2017 to 2020, Machado starred as Penelope Alvarez in the Netflix/Pop TV comedy series, One Day at a Time, for which she received positive reviews from critics and two Imagen Awards for Best Actress - Television, and well as nomination for Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.